1968 The 600 yard Royal Albert Stakes at West Ham is a puzzler for punters. It sees Ballyneale Kim, Cream Puff II and Contra Account renew rivalry. They had finished 1-2-3 in that order (1⁄2, 1⁄2) in the Cambridgeshire over the same track and distance. This time Contra Account beats Balloyneale Kim by five lengths, with Cream Puff II half a length further behind.
2005 Milldean Clarky, who was only accepted as a reserve for a forthcoming minor open at Walthamstow wins the Ladbrokes Golden Jacket Final at Crayford three days earlier.
1952 The NGRC consider and then reject a proposal for reducing the minimum qualifying age for a greyhound from 15 to 12 months.
1964 The fixture list released by Bord na gCon shows four events with four-figure winning prizes. They are the Produce Stakes (£1,000 – final May), the St Leger (£1,000 final July), the Irish Derby (£1,250 final August) and the Irish Laurels (£1,000 final September)
1994 The Sporting Life moves from its New Fetter Lane base to new offices in Canary Wharf.
2000 Agent Gary Hardwick is sentenced to two and a half years imprisonment after swindling Irish breeder Roger Sweeney out of £13,000 following the sale of three greyhounds.
1959 Expensive Irish purchase Tantallons Darkie who escaped from his owner’s car when being transported over from Ireland a month earlier is re-captured by a rag and bone man. Owner John Miller, who had offered a £50 reward (roughly £1,250 at today’s values) is delighted to hear that the dog is uninjured, if a little thin. He arrives to collect the dog only to find the dog has escaped through a small window in a locked stable.
1964 Bord nag Con have little difficulty in proving the guilt of an Irish owner who is accused by an English buyer of altering the identity card of Gurteen Reject. The most cursory checks reveal that a number of the races were apparently contested on Sundays, a practice that will remain illegal for another 40 years.
2005 Ian Reilly’s Irish runner Hee Haws Barney is sold for a reputed €100,000 after winning his second race at Harolds Cross in 28.72. The dog joins Andy Johnson and contests 30 UK opens winning five.
1954 George Flintham’s expensive new Irish purchase Pueblo dies of distemper without having even trialled for the new owner.
1964 Six year old Violets Duke who won 20 opens and reached an English Derby Final is an ignominious entry at Aldridges Sales. He is unsold.
2004 Wimbledon announce that the winner’s prize for A1 is to increase by £70 to £230 – that includes a £100 contribution from the track bookmakers. The win prize money is £70 higher than the equivalent grade at Walthamstow. Other grades A2-£160, A3-£110, A4-£100, S1-£230, S2-£160, S3-£110.
1981 Swift Band, the dog who will become the first of Charlie Lister’s 11 East Anglian Derby winners is sold for 1,000 guineas at Shelbourne sales.
1949 Joseph Lilley of Doncaster Road, Barnsley is found guilty of stealing a greyhound from Euston Station. The dog was chained to railing en route for Tipperary when Lilley, who was drunk, decided to take it. He is ordered to pay £25 or face two months in prison. He was also fined 20 shillings or seven days for stealing the dog’s collar.
1965 The Catford racing office announce that the Gold Collar trophy, a gold collar mounted on the silver head of a greyhound, has been stolen. Thieves broke into an office through a window.
1934 The 1932 Derby winner Wild Woolley breaks the ‘550 world record’ when beating Bellas Brother in a match race at Clapton. The time was 27 spots quicker than Queen of the Suir’s previous best.
1994 One of Ireland’s most successful stud keepers, John ‘Fitz’ Fitzpatrick, announces his retirement to “concentrate on my golf swing”. Best known as the handler of Sand Man, The Portlaoise dog man also bred Nick Savva’s star Flashy Sir.
2000 Knockanroe Rover is installed as joint Derby favourite after landing the ‘Wimbledon winter double’, the Juvenile and the Byrne International. Paul Stringer’s brindle is quoted at 16-1 along with Derbay Flyer, Mumble Swerve and Sonic Flight. Within days, a serious muscle injury sees Derbay Flyer eased to 25-1.
1964 Betting firm Stennings are taking no chances in pricing up runners for the 1964 English Derby with more than 250 runners listed. They include Chieftains Wonder whose Cardiff track record might have suggested he was decent value at 100-1, had he not died five months earlier.
2000 Henlow increase their minor open race prize money from £100 to £150 to the winner.
2000 Connections were reaching for the rule book after Frenan Focus was allowed to compete in a heat of the Springbok. The dog ran despite having finished lame in his previous race but without a subsequent trial. The Wimbledon stewards pointed out that the decision was discretionary and had even been applied to a Derby final in the past after Indian Joe had been declared lame after the semi finals.
2003 Wimbledon announce that they will significantly improve the racing circuit and widen the bends in time for the Derby. The cost of the project is estimated at £70,000.
1995 The Greyhound Writers announce their awards for the previous year. Westmead Chick (pictured) is Greyhound of the Year, and British Bred Greyhound of the Year. Chick’s (I’m Slippy-Westmead Move) 29 open race wins included the Racing Post Arc, the Olympic, the Brighton Belle, the Midland Flat and the Oaks. She was also runner-up in the Eclipse. Easy Bimbo is Dam of the Year. Trevor Cobbold’s former marathon star produced 68 open race winners in her litter by Slaneyside Hare. They included Decoy Cougar (Regency), Decoy Lion (Fines Trophy), and Decoy Lynx (Ernest Thornton-Smith Trophy). pic Steve Nash
